As in many countries in the world, football is also the most widespread and popular sport in Turkey. The popularity of the game naturally increased even further when Galatasaray won the UEFA Cup and Super Cup in 2000 and the Turkish national football team came third in the World Cup in Korea and Japan in 2002.

The Turkish Postal Administration could not possibly remain indifferent to these developments. The Administration had issued stamps featuring many branches of sport, including football, on numerous previous occasions. This time, it would honour the football clubs that were celebrating their 100th anniversaries.

Two celebrated

In 2003, a series consisting of four stamps went on sale for the Beşiktaş club. Beşiktaş was founded in 1903. Initially, Beşiktaş teams wore red and white; the colours were changed to the now-familiar black-and-white out of mourning for the soldiers who died in the Balkan Wars. In one international match between Turkey and Greece, the entire Beşiktaş team took their places on the field as the Turkish national team. Among the club’s famous supporters is Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf. The stamp series had a print run of 400,000.

Galatasaray, which is probably the most well known Turkish Football Club outside Turkey, was founded in 1905. For its 100th anniversary, the Postal Administration put on sale a series consisting of two stamps and two miniature sheets. One of the miniature sheets was perforated and the other imperforate. The imperforate sheet was printed only in sufficient quantity to meet the demand from collectors who had ordered it in advance, and was not sold to other collectors. As a result, this sheet became a rarity and began to gain value rapidly almost as soon as it was issued.

One to come

Both philatelists and sports fans now eagerly await the year 2007, when Fenerbahçe, the most popular football club in Turkey, will celebrate its 100th year. Arch-rival of both Beşiktaş and Galatasaray, Fenerbahçe has won the Turkey Premier Football League championship in each of the last two years. For now we must wait and see what kind of issue the Postal Administration will prepare for this club.

( DIPLOMAT - March 2006 - Ankara )